Most people hugging trees: Portland breaks Guinness world record (VIDEO) PORTLAND, OR, USA -- More than 950 Portlanders hugged a variety of Douglas firs and redwoods simultaneously for a least a minute at the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, Oregon, during an event organized by Treecology and Hoyt Arboretum, setting the new world record for the Most people hugging trees simultaneously,
according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/. Photo: People hug trees at the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, July 20, 2013, as part of an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the most people hugging trees simultaneously. Photo: AP Photo/ Brittany Greeson (enlarge photo)

The Guinness world record for the the largest gathering of people hugging trees, is 702 people, achieved by the United Kingdom's Forestry Commission in Delamere Forest in Cheshire.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest human Christmas tree, achieved by 672 participants at an event organised E-Plus Gruppe (Germany) in Düsseldorf, Germany.

More than 950 Portlanders hugged a variety of Douglas firs and redwoods simultaneously for a least a minute at the Hoyt Arboretum for the record-breaking event.

"Even living in a big city like Portland, we can still just get out of the city and out and amongst the trees and I think it's really refreshing for people to have that experience," Martin Nicholson, the curator of the Hoyt Arboretum, told KGW.